McIlroy and Woods put in the shade

After the euphoria of the Ryder Cup, Rory McIlroy had the victory rug unceremoniously dragged from under him on the opening day of the Turkish Airlines World Golf final in Belek.

McIlroy imploded on the Sultan course at the Antalya Golf Club completing the closing four holes in seven over par to lose by six shots to American rival Matt Kuchar.

Kuchar, looking tanned and refreshed from a family holiday in the Greek Isles, carded a one under par 70 compared to a well out-of-sorts world number one who signed for a 76. McIlroy, who had been in constant conversation with girlfriend Caroline Wozinacki between holes, was left virtually speechless after ending his opening round with a triple bogey, double bogey, double bogey and par.

“Those last few holes were the match but I now need to go out and win both my matches and see if that’s not good enough,” said McIlroy.

McIlroy only arrived in Turkey on the eve of the event and played the course ‘blind’. “My ball striking early on wasn’t that good and my short game kept me in there,” he added.

“A couple of eagles on the front nine helped and I was starting to play some decent golf on the back nine but then I sent my tee shot into trees at 15 and then into the water hazard on 16. After that you resign yourself to losing.

“So to go from being level with Matt and to lose by six shots was disappointing but I will be going out there tomorrow far from complacent and determined now to win both matches.”

The four are in Group 2 of the $5.2m event and one point for a win and a half for a draw, the leading two will go through to Thursday’s semi-finals.

Tiger Woods handed organisers a second straight headache losing by a shot to Charl Schwartzel.

“It came right down to the wire but I can’t believe how far that second shot flew into the back bunker and that was the match,” said Woods.

“It means now that I have to play ‘Kooch’ (Matt Kuchar) and try and win that match before facing Rory in the afternoon but my main concern is ‘Kooch’ and trying to beat him.”

In other Group 1 matches Lee Westwood carded a 72 to defeat US Open champion Webb Simpson who bogeyed the last in a score of 73.

And England’s Justin Rose, who has spent the past week relaxing with his family at Albany in the Bahamas, accounted for Hunter Mahan with a round of 71 to Mahan’s 75.

Meanwhile McIlroy has confirmed he will defend his UBS Hong Kong Open title next month and with suggestions he may also contest the WGC – HSBC Champions event in the first week of November.

If so, McIlroy is virtually staring at a similar end-of-season schedule to last year, and a run of events that drew heavy criticism in some quarters.

“There had been a little doubt over Hong Kong but now that it’s all sorted out with the sponsor and so on, I am going to defend my title,” he said.

“I haven’t made up my mind yet about the HSBC Champions.”

If McIlroy does tee-up in the HSBC Champions it will mean five Race to Dubai events in succession and in four different countries.